The sedge warbler is a medium-sized warbler of marshes, reedbeds and wetlands that can be spotted singing from perches on reeds and willow bushes. A great mimic, the male sedge warbler introduces random phrases into its repertoire, never singing the same song twice; he attracts more mates the more phrases his song has. Sedge warblers are summer visitors to the UK, breeding in wetland habitats from April onwards.
How to identify
Sedge warblers are sandy brown. They are paler underneath and streaky above, with a dark, streaked cap. They have a distinctive white eyestripe.
Did you know?
The closely related and similar-looking aquatic warbler breeds in bogs and marshes in Poland and Russia, and occasionally passes through southern UK in the autumn on its way to West Africa.
